1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an enclosed paperboard carton capable of enclosing containers with a top of a smaller diameter than the bottom, which carton has a unique opening and dispensing feature in the top panel which allows the containers to be removed or dispensed one at a time by grasping the top of the container and pulling it through opening. The opening is closed by a dispensing flap that is tightly attached to a corner of the top panel by a resistant tear line. The dispenser flap is attached to a pull tab that is loosely attached to the top panel so that it can be easily completely or partially detached from the top panel for opening the dispenser flap. When containers are to dispensed from this carton, the dispenser flap is opened and the carton is placed on its end with the dispenser being located in a corner of the top panel adjacent the end on which the carton is placed. The dispenser flap can be constructed so it can be reclosed.
2. Background
Fully enclosed cartons capable of enclosing cans have been used in the past that have a feature for dispensing the cans one at a time. Dispensers have been provided at various locations within these cartons depending on the design. Many of these dispensers suffer from the disadvantage that once open, they allow all of the containers to roll out. In addition, it is difficult to carry one of these cartons without the containers falling out once the dispenser has been opened. Most of these dispensers have been designed for dispensing cans or bottles which have cylindrical tops and bottoms of substantially the same size and configuration. These dispensers are not suitable for dispensing bottles that have a neck of smaller diameter than the body of the bottle.
In effect, many of these dispensers destroy the overall carton integrity once they have been opened.
Many of these dispensers do not have any means for the easy opening of the dispenser for dispensing the containers inside the carton one at a time. Furthermore, many dispensers are not set up so that the containers inside the carton roll into the position for dispensing once a container has been removed from the dispenser.
3. Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,681 to Miller discloses a carton with an outlet port in each side wall with both being located on a single longitudinal axis that is normal to the side walls. This carton is loaded with cans which can be removed by standing the carton on its end near where the dispensers are located and opening the flaps closing the ports. As the ports are only slightly larger than the cans it is necessary to push a can from one port through the port on the other side as a person""s fingers are too large to grasp a can in the small opening between the can and the edge of the port. This explains the necessity of having two identical ports on each side wall in longitudinal alignment. The necessity of having two ports tends to weaken the structural integrity of the Miller carton. This carton cannot be easily moved from one location to another after both ports have been opened without a risk that the cans will fall out.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,364,509 to Holley, Jr. et al. discloses a fully enclosed carton with a dispenser in one of the end walls. This dispenser is formed in the end wall by tearing out an end flap and lowering it into proper position. Expansions slits are provided in the side wall for the user""s fingers to grasp the ends of the exiting can. This carton is not adapted for use with bottles, because of the necessity of grasping the ends of the container for removal. In addition, it is not adapted for carrying cans once the carton has been opened as they are likely to roll out of the dispenser.
It is an object of this invention to provide a dispenser or opening in a carton for the removal of bottles that have a smaller diameter at the top than at the bottom. It is a further object of this invention to provide a dispenser that is resistant to being accidentally opened during handling or stacking of the cartons by the weight of a container adjacent the dispenser flap. It is the further object to provide a dispenser that can be easily opened but is resistant to being accidentally opened. It is another object of this invention to provide a dispenser so that bottles with a smaller neck than body can be grasped through the dispenser and removed without the necessity of having a second dispenser in longitudinal alignment with this dispenser. In other words, it is an object of this invention to provide a single dispenser without the necessity of a second dispenser that weakens the structural integrity of the carton. It is still another object of this invention to provide a carton with a dispenser that will permit the carton to be moved from one location to another after it has been opened without discharging containers. An additional object is to provide a carton with a dispenser whereafter the removal of the container, another container will move into position with respect to the dispenser for easy removal.
It is a further object to provide a carton where the dispenser can be opened and a container removed and the dispenser reclosed. An additional object is to provide a dispenser that the consumer may elect to open and remove or reclose. It is a final object to provide a means to include a coupon with the dispenser that can be removed by the consumer when opening the carton and removing a container.
Briefly described, in a preferred form, the objects of this invention are achieved by providing an enclosed carton that has an unique dispenser or opening in a corner of the top panel of the carton. This carton is generally rectangular and has a bottom, top, two sides, and two ends. The carton is foldably constructed from a blank having panels and flaps. The dispenser or opening is formed in one of the corners on the top panel of the carton by providing a tear line between the dispenser flap and the top panel that is resistant to tearing. A pull tab is attached to the dispenser flap with the pull tab being loosely attached to the carton for easy detachment so that it can be used for pulling the dispenser flap open. Since the bottles designed to be carried by this carton are cylindrical, the dispenser flap needs to be circular. It may be truncated at the adjacent corner of the top panel by placing the tear line for the dispenser flap along the fold lines for connecting the top end flaps and side panel to the top panel.
The dispenser flap on this carton is opened to provide the dispenser opening by placing the carton on end with the dispenser being located near such end. Once a dispenser flap has been removed by pulling on the pull tab, a person may remove a bottle by reaching into the dispenser opening and pulling a bottle by the neck which has a smaller diameter than the body. Other bottles roll towards the dispenser opening after the removal of the bottle. It is necessary to place the dispenser opening in the top panel as the bottles with smaller necks and bodies should be stacked in the carton in an upright position to prevent spillage and damage. The removal of these bottles is facilitated by virtue of the small diameter of the neck of the bottle being located near the top panel where the dispenser opening is located. It has been discovered that it is not necessary to have two openings in each side panel on the same longitudinal axis in respect to bottles with smaller necks than bodies.
The dispenser opening can be constructed by providing a tear line defining the dispenser flap which forms an opening for removing bottles when opened. When the dispenser flap is truncated at the adjacent corner of the top panel, the dispenser flap can be easily removed if the fold lines between the points where the tear lines in the top panel intersect the fold lines between the top panel and side and end panels and from those points on to the intersection of these fold lines at the adjacent corner intersect are also constructed as tear lines. Some of these fold lines between the top and end and side panel, especially between the top and side panel, can be constructed as fold lines with no tear line to permit the dispenser flap to be opened and a container removed and the flap reclosed to secure the carton. A coupon can be attached or printed on the dispenser flap as a marketing tactic to the consumer.
This carton can be constructed by gluing, taping, stapling and the like, or by locking. It may have handles in the end panels for carrying so that the bottles are carried in an upright position to help minimize damage to the carton or the containers contained therein.
These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures.